Use of tablets and smartphones leads to record year for BBC iPlayer

More than 2.3 billion shows were watched or listened to on the iPlayer in
2012, as the use of tablets and smartphones led to a record-breaking year
for the BBC's on-demand service.

The figures show more people are using the service on their phones and tablet computersPhoto: PSL Images / Alamy

8:26AM GMT 25 Jan 2013

Danny Boyle's Olympic opening ceremony was the most popular show on the iPlayer with around 3.3 million requests.

Figures released by the BBC showed that the event, which featured appearances by stars including Bradley Wiggins, Kenneth Branagh and Daniel Craig, got around half a million more requests than the second most popular show - an episode of Top Gear.

Other popular shows included episodes of Sherlock and Doctor Who which were requested more than 2 million times.

The top three radio programmes were Jay-Z live at Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, Wallace and Gromit at the Proms 2012 and Rihanna live at Hackney.

The figures show more people are using the service on their phones and tablet computers, with the devices accounting for more than a quarter of requests last year.

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Daniel Danker, general manager of programmes and on demand, said: "2012 was a ground-breaking year for BBC iPlayer with a record 2.32 billion requests for programmes across over 650 platforms.

"Last year, the use of iPlayer shifted from PCs and early adopter devices like game consoles to screens used by all audiences. Mobile, tablet and connected TV skyrocketed, with a particular emphasis on audiences taking iPlayer on the go.

"This year, we're looking forward to turning iPlayer into an entertainment destination, with a relentless focus on making iPlayer as easy and enjoyable as television."